3

DIFFERENTIATION OF EXPONENTIAL,
LOGARITHMIC AND TRIGONOMETRIC
FUNCTIONS

CONTENTS
Exponential Functions 32
Logarithmic Functions 33
Applications of Exponential and Logarithmic functions 35
Trigonometric Differentiation 38

E X PO NE NT IA L F U N C T IO N S
An exponential function is a mathematical function of the form 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑝 where e =
2.71828 and p is a polynomial of degree n.
Example: 𝑦 = 𝑒 2𝑥−7 .

Rules for the differentiation of exponential functions:

𝑑 𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝑢 𝑑 𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝑢
(𝑒 ) = ∙𝑒 (𝑎 ) = ∙ 𝑎 ln 𝑎
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

Special cases: If 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 , then 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑥

If 𝑦 = 𝑎 𝑥 , then 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 = (𝑙𝑛 𝑎) ∙ 𝑎 𝑥

 EXAMPLE 3.1
Differentiate
2
a) 𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 −7 b) 𝑦 = 5√𝑥
S O L U T I O N tips
a) Let 𝑢 = 𝑥 2 − 7, then 𝑑𝑢/𝑑𝑥 = 2𝑥
𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝑢 2
= (𝑒 ) = ∙ 𝑒 = 2𝑥 ∙ 𝑒 𝑥 −7
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
Chapter 3| Differentiation of Exponential, Logarithmic and Trigonometric Functions 33

1⁄ 1
b) Let 𝑢 = √𝑥 = 𝑥 2, then 𝑑𝑢/𝑑𝑥 = 𝑥 −1/2
2
𝑑𝑦 𝑑 𝑢 𝑑𝑢 𝑢 1 (ln 5) ∙ 5√𝑥
= (𝑎 ) = ∙ 𝑎 ln 𝑎 = 𝑥 −1/2 ∙ 5√𝑥 ∙ (ln 5) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2 2√𝑥

 EXAMPLE 3.2
Differentiate
𝑒𝑥
a) 𝑦 = 2𝑒 𝑥 √𝑥 b) 𝑦 =
3−𝑒 𝑥

S O L U T I O N tips
a) Apply the product rule,

Let 𝑢 = 2𝑒 𝑥 , then 𝑑𝑢/𝑑𝑥 = 2𝑒 𝑥

1
Let 𝑣 = √𝑥, then 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑥 = 𝑥 −1/2
2

𝑑𝑦 1 𝑒𝑥
= √𝑥 ∙ 2𝑒 𝑥 + 2𝑒 𝑥 ∙ 𝑥 −1/2 = 2𝑒 𝑥 √𝑥 +
𝑑𝑥 2 √𝑥
b) Apply the quotient rule,

Let 𝑢 = 𝑒 𝑥 and 𝑣 = 3 − 𝑒 𝑥
𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑣
= 𝑒 𝑥 and = −𝑒 𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝑦 𝑣 ∙ 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑢 ∙ 𝑑𝑥 (3 − 𝑒 𝑥 )𝑒 𝑥 − 𝑒 𝑥 (−𝑒 𝑥 ) 3𝑒 𝑥
= 2
= 𝑥 2
=
𝑑𝑥 𝑣 (3 − 𝑒 ) (3 − 𝑒 𝑥 )2

L O G A R IT HM IC F U N C T IO N S
Logarithmic functions are the inverse of exponential functions. For example, in
the logarithmic function, 𝑦 = log 𝑎 𝑥, y is the logarithm of x to the base of a such
that 𝑥 = 𝑎 𝑦 .
Example: 𝐿𝑜𝑔2 8 = 3.

Rules for the differentiation of logarithmic functions:

𝑑 𝑑𝑢 1 𝑑 𝑑𝑢 1
(ln 𝑢) = ∙ (log a 𝑢) = ∙
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑢 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑢 ln 𝑎

Special Cases: If 𝑦 = ln 𝑥, then 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 = 1/𝑥

If 𝑦 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑎 𝑥, then 𝑑𝑦/𝑑𝑥 = 1/(𝑥 ∙ ln 𝑎)

 EXAMPLE 3.3
Differentiate
a) 𝑦 = 4 ln √𝑥 b) 𝑦 = log10 (4𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 1)
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